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A good old fashioned whodunit - but one stuffed full of warm affection for traditional village life; the gossip, community spirit, curtain twitching, the steadfast and stalwart… There are clues and suspects aplenty and if you do make the leap before Faith (a former police officer), it’s understandable as she is settling into her new career as a vicar and her mind is still skipping between the two worlds. A comfortably effortless read, the story lures you in and it’s all to easy to submerge yourself and not come up for breath until the very end. Satisfying, enjoyable and rewarding, this feels like a proper introduction to Ockley’s new Faith Morgan mystery series and settles you in nicely to an intriguing mix of church and constabulary. ~ Liz Robinson

Reader Reviews

In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion some of our Reader Review Panel were also lucky enough to read and review this title.

Elisabeth Thomas - 'The start of another super murder mystery series...The characters were likeable and believable and well introduced seeing that this is the first book in the series.' Read full review >

Sharon Matthews - 'A cosy mystery story about who killed the priest and the events that the investigation uncovers...the details of the day to day goings on of the Church did not put me off the story as it was relevant.' Read full review >

Lynne Rapson - 'A well-written, satisfying mystery with the 'heroine' Faith, a recently ordained priest and former policewoman. A good story if a little 'comfy'. Very enjoyable and I look forward to the sequels.' Read full review >

Cath Sell - 'this book isn’t for you if you like your ‘cozy’ with recipes or knitting patterns or prefer your murder ‘noir’ style but if you like a ‘Golden Age’ – style mystery then this is more than worth a read.' Read full review >

George Willmett - 'This has a distinctly ‘Miss Marple’ feel to it, what with the quaint village setting and the amateur female sleuth helping the police with their investigation...An uncomplicated and easy read.' Read full review >

Rachael Anderson - 'An enjoyable, yet predictable, crime novel set in an English country village.' Read full review >

Michelle Russ - 'A great premise for a book, but didn't quite hit the mark for me...The story itself was ok, but I felt that the religious elements of the book were a little bit overpowering for me.' Read full review >

Christine Phillips - 'Faith Morgan, former policewoman and newly ordained priest, arrives in Little Worthy, her childhood village, to consider her options, and becomes part of a murder investigation.' Read full review >

Jill Peters - 'I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was a good old fashion ‘Who Done It’ with a modern twist. Not normally a fan of this genre of fiction, I was absolutely won over...' Read full review >

Magdalena Vidgen - 'I had expected something in the line of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple story. And sure enough, we have a little sleepy village, old gossiping ladies and vicar's murder in the middle of a mass in the local church...' Read full review >

Janet Gilliard - 'This falls somewhere between a “cozy” murder mystery and a police procedural. Worth a read but I’m not sure I would read any more in the series.' Read full review >

Jenny Grange - 'I enjoyed this book...I would recommend it to my parents who are 88 years old!' Read full review >

Sallyann Spittle - 'This is an exciting book that will keep you guessing right till the end. There are a few twists along the way and I couldn’t put it down once I started to read it.' Read full review >

Kate Thacker - 'I really liked this book, it was a new author for me and a series I want to follow and am looking forward to getting the next one soon.' Read full review >

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Synopsis

The Reluctant Detective by Martha Ockley

Couldn't resist touching the body, eh? observed Ben. Faith was defiant. I had to check for a pulse. Faith Morgan may have quit the world of crime, but crime won't let her go. The ex-policewoman has retrained as a priest, disillusioned with a tough police culture and convinced that she can do more good this way. But now her worlds collide. Searching for the first posting of her new career, she witnesses a sudden and shocking death in a quiet Hampshire village. And of all people, Detective Inspector Ben Shorter, her former colleague and boyfriend, shows up to investigate the crime. Persuaded to stay on in Little Worthy, she learns surprising details about the victim and starts to piece together a motive for his death. But is she now in danger herself? And what should she do about Ben? Then a further horrifying event deepens the mystery...

About the Author

Martha Ockley writes both fiction and non-fiction. When she is not writing, she loves to act, potter about her eighteenth century cottage, read, and spend time with her parrot!